


The Princess and The Apprentice

by ThoughtfulDaydreams



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: F/M, fairy tale AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-31 05:12:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10892409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThoughtfulDaydreams/pseuds/ThoughtfulDaydreams
Summary: “Dipper, are you insane?” said Stan. “If they find out you’re not royalty they’ll kill you!”Dipper fiddled with the collar of his shirt. “Don’t worry, Grunkle Stan. It’s just one dance.”





	The Princess and The Apprentice

**Author's Note:**

> Based on an aesthetic for Fairy Tale au I found on tumblr and was inspired to write a fic on.

“Dipper, are you insane?” said Stan. “If they find out you’re not royalty they’ll kill you!”

Dipper fiddled with the collar of his shirt. “Don’t worry, Grunkle Stan. It’s just one dance.”

Dipper’s Great Uncle and mentor Stanford Pines was invited to the royal ball as the city’s most respected scholar, scientist, and philosopher, but he discarded his invitation- never liking large gatherings.

According to his young apprentice, that just so happened to have found the invitation when he was looking through the waste bin for no particular reason, it would be a useful intellectual experience for him, and since the invitation didn’t have a name he’d be just fine if he was caught. Hopefully.

However the other Great Uncle, merchant Stanley Pines, was not so convinced. “Fine, fine, I guess I can’t stop you, just remember what I’ve taught you about getting out of a tight spot. When you run turn corners, you know the streets better than them, and don’t try to fight them unless you have to!”

Dipper chuckled, nodded in agreement, finished the last details and put on his mask carefully so it’d cover his birth mark but not falter his hair his sister took over an hour to fix.

Turning around he straightened his back and stuck his nose in the air like his sister taught him to. She worked at the castle as the personal maid for the princess so she learned quite a lot of how they acted and taught him as much as possible for the night. “How do I look?”

Stan eyed the young man then sighed, “Like royalty.” Dipper smiled triumphantly for a moment before he stiffened at his Grunckle’s next question. “You’re not doing all this just so you can have a dance with the Northwest’s daughter, right? What was it? Princess Patricia or something?”

“Pacifica, her name is Princess Pacifica, and no I’m not going for her,” Dipper said confidently, yet he averted his gaze away from Stan who rolled his eyes. “Yeah sure kid whatever you say, just be back before daybreak and don’t do anything you think I would do!”

With that comment Dipper left with a practiced elegant bow. Sneaking out the back door Dipper was careful not to be seen as he walked through the streets in his attire, he still had a while to go until he was out of the commoner grounds and he couldn’t have someone recognizing him, ruining his night before it even began.

After some time of moving stealthy Dipper’s mind began to wonder like it often does. The usual things such as, how long was it going to take him to finish his latest entry, what stock he’d need to get when Ford and himself go into the magical forest next time, if he put everything in its rightful place last night, **her.**

The young apprentice felt his cheeks heat as the beautiful princess once again entered his mind. Though he was technically a peasant, which were usually never allowed to be around royalty unless they worked in the castle, Dipper has spoken and been in the young woman’s company many times over the years.

They met when they were 13, the first year of his apprenticeship. Servants in the castle had been mysteriously turning into wood, but nothing was being done about it until the princess started to grow ill. His Great Uncle Ford was called in to stop whatever was going on; Dipper who only had been working for him a few months at the time was deemed too “inexperienced” by the king to handle the problem at large, even though he had already been successful on handling mysterious creatures on his own for the past year. Nonetheless he was forced to watch over the princess while Ford did the rest of the work.

Thinking back he smirked at how annoyed he was that he had to stay with the spoiled little girl that ordered his sister around left and right. She had just started working at the castle and Dipper remembered how she would come home exhausted, but she never complained, so when he met the girl himself he let all his anger out. He wasn’t horrible to her, though he certainly wasn’t nice either, but that was okay because she would match his wit and attitude with her own.

Their constant fighting soon became making fun to playful banter, though he’d never admit it even to this: it was nice being around her. She was more than meets the eye. They had a lot in common, and in a world among expecting judgmental adults, when they were together they could, just for a moment, act like kids.

Soon after her illness got better and the servants were cured after the ghoul had been terminated. The Pines men left, with no longer a reason to stay. Her practices ended later than usual that night so she wasn’t able to give him a proper goodbye, but that was fine with him because he swore that it wasn’t the end to their relationship, not if he could help it.

He could, he saw her fairly often after that. The castle had been cursed many years ago to attract evil magic into it, and after the success of the first exorcism Ford and Dipper were often hired to take care of problems in the castle on a monthly basis.

He practically grew up with her, they became very close, of course not as close friends as she with Mabel, but he was a close second.

He was snapped from his thoughts when he heard an especially loud and obnoxious snooty laughter. He’d gotten to the castle much faster than expected. Straightening his back and readying to present his invitation, he quickly copied the confident strides of the men around him and made it to the entrance.

He got in easily enough, only one guard even eyed him, but it wasn’t in suspicion; rather, in confusion of why he was here dressed like he was. He most defiantly recognized him but let Dipper walk on. It was one of the oldest guard’s, Princess Pacifica’s head guard in fact, he knew him because quite well because he was the only one that liked Dipper. He even told him once that the princess was stubborn just like he was but, if she trusted Dipper, then he trusted him.

He entered the large room carefully, passing through the crowed. Music was playing loudly; people were dancing elegantly throughout the ball room with each couple moving parallel to every other couple that surrounds them. 

Dipper began to think maybe a dance wouldn’t be the best idea after all. Yes Mabel and Pacifica had taught him a few dances but these people were outrageous! Their movements were flawless, they probably all have been taking private classes since they were children, and there was no way he was going out there now. 

Once he’d found her he had planned to lead her in a dance and hopefully make her night because he knew how much she loathed these evenings, but now he was certain he’d just end up making a fool of himself in front of everyone, not only revealing his identity but most likely making her upset.

She could be so-

“Please sir, let go of me,” a voice said that Dipper instantly recognized as the woman that has been on his mind all evening. He turned to find her trying to pull her grasped wrist away from a man whose face, despite being hidden by a mask, was at least twice her age and clearly intoxicated. She was obviously trying to get away without making any kind of scene, but he wasn’t making it easy for her to escape. “I have a date waiting for me. I don’t want to keep him waiting.”

She was wearing a light blue ball gown that matched her sliver trimmed mask. If you knew her then the mask did little to conceal her identity, her distinct blonde hair was done slightly fancier but for the most part was its usual style of a couple braids with the rest falling down her back, but her tiara defiantly tipped her off the most.

The young apprentice felt his blood boil as the man only smiled then tightened his hand around her wrist making her visibly cringe. “It’s a masquerade ball, nobody has a date! Come now, princess I’m only asking for a couple of dances!”

Dipper wasn’t sure at what point he had walked over to the princess, but he knew exactly moment that he tore the man’s arm off of her in such a precise way that even though it was done in complete silence and he was intoxicated the man knew it was time to leave unless he wanted to start something ugly.

Not looking either in the eye the man gave a sloppy bow, “Goodnight, Princess.”

Only after the man disappeared back into the crowd, she grabbed his hand leading him outside did she speak. “You didn’t have to do that…”

“I know,” Dipper smirked squeezing her hand softly as they reached they reached one of the gardens many Gazebos.

“I am not a child anymore, I can handle myself!” Pacifica exclaimed but still held his hand as they both watched the stars.

“I’m not saying you can’t, but when I promised I’d protect you from hideous ghouls I meant it.”

“You’re a fool, Pines,” Pacifica tried to keep an angry expression but quickly a small smile broke out before she began to laugh. It only took a second before he joined her.

After a moment he looked down at her, her melodic laugh, her real laugh, not the one she practices for guests, filling his ears like they often did his dreams. Her head was thrown back, long blonde curls pooling down her back. She went to wipe tears from her sapphire blue eyes, taking off her mask in the process, causing a curl to fall out of place.

Gently he reached over and tucked it behind her ear, lingering his fingers to dust softly over her cheek before dropping it in realization of what he’d done. She looked up at him; cheeks flushed, and seemed to be trying to search his eyes for something but his mask must have hid them well because she gave up after a moment.

He coughed turning to look back up at the stars, “Sooo what gave me away? I thought I did pretty well with this disguise.”

“Other than the complete obvious?” Pacifica smirked, grabbing his hands, turning them to him, and gently rubbing his fingers, making heat crawl back up his neck at her touch. “You have rough hands, working hands. The moment you touched my arm I could practically feel the dirt in your calluses.”

Dipper opened his mouth to retort but Pacifica quickly continued, intertwining her fingers with him, “None of the men here would have these hands. It means you have worked hard, and that is why they are so strong, so warm.”

“…However, that also means you should not be here, you know my father could have you banished or your head for coming here without an invitation,” she tried saying sternly but the only emotion in her voice was worry, as she leaned into his arms that at some point were offered to her.

His embrace tightened prospectively around her at the mention of her father. The man wasn’t evil, he did love his daughter the best he knew how anyway, but his ideas of what was best for her could often be misguided.  
“I technically did have an invitation, granted it wasn’t mine, but I got in with it so I think it counts!” He said trying to laugh it off but she only held onto him tighter unconvinced.

Looking around to make sure no one could see them he took off his mask and softly lifted her chin, “Look at me.” He said gently.

She hesitantly looked up into his soft brown eyes. “As long as you let me stay by your side, I’m not going anywhere.”

He brushed back another curl but this time his hand was caught in place on her cheek by her own hand. She leaned into his touch, and found that they were both moving closer until their foreheads were pressed together, noses practically touching. “This isn’t right; this shouldn’t be happening I’m not supposed to fall for you… I’m not supposed to love you…” 

Dipper nodded but once again took her chin, “Neither am I.”

After a moment of staring in each other’s eyes they gave in, leaning in, filling the gap. Starting with the simplest of touches between their lips, then advancing until every feeling they’ve been trying to subside or deny over the years were brought out into the open.

This night wasn’t how he planned but it was defiantly something to remember, it was a new start of a whole new story.


End file.
